From a jar to you
FILMLiving water
INSTALATIONScratch for a chance to win
a home in Antwerp
DINNER EVENT2025
Spices or spicesssss
INSTALLATION2024
2024
Grab my hand hard and when my fingers fall off...
INSTALLATION2024
IF
INSTALLATION2024
IF
2024
ZOO, Antwerp BE
I recreated a dish using recipes from the zoo and added spices from the animals’ native countries. By doing so, I invited people to exchange recipes and food with items they have based on what they have, as animals in zoos have historically been traded and exchanged between different Zoo. Through this living per-formance, I hope the audience can feel the stories behind these exchanges and connections.
In this work, I reflect on how animals in the zoo are viewed and treated as immigrants by the local society. The zoo has long been seen as a symbol of power, carrying the imprints of colonial history since its establishment in 1843. Imported goods such as food and spices also bear the marks of colonization.
The documents in the Antwerp Felix archive record many animals that arrived at Antwerp’s zoo due to colonial reasons since 1843. These animals come from different countries, and later on, there are exchanges and gifting of animals between different zoos. I wonder if we can cultivate empathy for animals and rebuild their connection to their original habitat by linking them to their cultural heritage, for example, through spices and ingredients that represent their origins.